In-depth analyses are presented of 15 superior films, each one representing a subgenre of fantasy cinema--Beauty and the Beast, Conan the Barbarian, The Dark Crystal, Dragonslayer, 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T, Its a Wonderful Life, Jason and the Argonauts, King Kong, Lost Horizon, Popeye, Superman, The Thief of Baghdad, Time Bandits, Topper, and The Wizard of Oz. A chapter is devoted to each film, providing a plot summary and detailed information about cast and crew, special effects (stop-motion animation, miniatures, hanging miniatures, optical effects, tricks of perspective, blue screens, matte paintings, glass shots, reverse projection, slow motion, rear and front projection, etc.), and strengths and weaknesses, as well as explorations of the films relationship to written fantasy, other films, and cultural myths.

The Boys provides new ways to view and evaluate the work of this famous comedy team. The initial chapter summarizes the critical reception of the two and compares Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy to other contemporary comedians. Brief biographies analyze their early solo films and the development of the team. Special attention is given to the team's cinematic and comic style, use of camera techniques, early sound practice, and gag development. The comics' complex relationship is detailed and analyzed. A complete filmography, including a rating and an indication of contents, covers each film. The team's final film, Atoll K (1951), is discussed in depth. Throughout the text quotes from such persons as Laurel and Hardy themselves, Buster Keaton, George Stevens, Dick Van Dyke, and Woody Allen enlighten and entertain. Great stills and posters.

Relive the greatest laugh-out-loud moments featuring Jerry, Elaine, George, and Kramer in this one-of-a-kind trivia game and book set celebrating the quintessential modern sitcom, Seinfeld. This deck includes: About this item: - Everything From the Show about Nothing: The characters, food, quotable lines, funny moments, Kramer's schemes, and George's embarrassments are featured in this one-of-a-kind trivia collection. - Who is the Master of the Seinfeld Domain: Gather your gang of friends for lightning round of trivia with a set of 50 cards featuring 200 questions. - Book Included: The Seinfeld A to Z Guide is packed with encyclopaedic entries on the show's characters, props, places, situations, and yadda yadda yadda, featuring full-colour photography and illustrations throughout. This paperback book is 3 x 5 inches and 88 pages. - Collectible Packaging: The cards and book are housed in a full-colour printed magnetic closure box. - Officially Licensed: An official Seinfeld trivia game. Copyright © 2023 Castle Rock Entertainment. SEINFELD and all related characters and elements © & TM Castle Rock Entertainment. WB SHIELD: © & TM WBEI. (s23)

Filmmaker brothers Joel and Ethan Coen got their start in the independent film business in 1984 with their debut feature Blood Simple, which won the award of Best Dramatic Feature at Sundance in 1985 and was hailed as one of the best films of the year by the National Board of Review. Since their early success, the Coen Brothers have built a name for themselves and gone on to create other big-name movies such as Raising Arizona, Fargo, and The Big Lebowski. This book is a comprehensive account of these four films and Miller's Crossing, Barton Fink and The Hudsucker Proxy. Production information and in-depth analysis and critique are provided, as well as discussions on how each movie functions in the broader context of the Coens' work, and the themes, strategies, and motifs often utilized by the Coens.

William Castle, for instance, was a master promoter. In one scheme involving The Tingler, Vincent Price warns in the movie that "the only way to stop the monster is to scream. That's the signal to the projectionist to throw the switch. Under ten or twelve seats were some electric motors, war surplus things that Castle got a bargain on. The motors vibrated the seat, in the hope of scaring a scream out of someone. Just in case it didn't Castle planted someone in the audience to get the screams rolling." This book is about flamboyant promotion, the con artist side of the movie world--everything the ballyhoo boys did to separate the customer from the price of a movie ticket—Emergo, HypnoVista, 3-D, Wide Screen, Cinemagic, Duo-Vision, Dynamation, Smell-O-Vision, plenty more. Supporting the text are 107 photos and illustrations, some never-before-published, and a filmography.

During the Depression years, the comedy team of Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey were second only to Laurel and Hardy at the box office. Each of their over 20 comedies are analyzed in detail here; full filmographic data, production notes, plot synopses, and critical commentary are provided. The research is supplemented by an interview with Bert Wheeler.

Taboo breakers and trendsetters, shameless hucksters and famous directors. Exploitation filmmaking has seen it all. Fred Olen Ray made his first movie for $298. In 1936 Marijuana-Weed with Roots in Hell showed drug use and nudity on screen in an effort to "educate the public." Kroger Babb, the man behind Mom and Dad, spliced color medical footage of a babys birth into his black and white "classic." Russ Meyer, John Waters, Andy Milligan, Doris Wishman, and many others are covered. "Classic" films such as The Immoral Mr. Teas, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Nude on the Moon are examined. Production techniques and innovations are also discussed.

The "live era" or "golden age"of television drama originating from New York, 1946 through 1951, was an exciting time of creative and commercial accomplishment. This is a complete history and reference guide to the live dramas that aired during those six years. Extensive coverage is given to the NBC anthologies Kraft Television Theatre and Philco Television Playhouse, and the CBS anthologies Ford Theater and Studio One, as well as to "he competitors"--the 28 new anthologies that appeared in the prime time schedule during 1950 and 1951. Appendices comprehensively list the day-by-day program logs for BBC, CBS and NBC dramas from 1946 through 1951.

This collection of essays (first published in Big Reel) lovingly recalls the glory days of the movie serial. The primary focus is on the fans of the serials--what they thought of them in their heyday, what they think of them now, and why these episodic tales are still so popular. Preceding each article is a brief commentary about the essay explaining why the topic was chosen and the reader response it evoked when first published.

Whitewashing the Movies addresses the popular practice of excluding Asian actors from playing Asian characters in film. Media activists and critics have denounced contemporary decisions to cast White actors to play Asians and Asian Americans in movies such as Ghost in the Shell and Aloha. The purpose of this book is to apply the concept of “whitewashing� in stories that privilege White identities at the expense of Asian/American stories and characters. To understand whitewashing across various contexts, the book analyzes films produced in Hollywood, Asian American independent production, and US-China co-productions. Through the analysis, the book examines the ways in which whitewashing matters in the project of Whiteness and White racial hegemony. The book contributes to contemporary understanding of mediated representations of race by theorizing whitewashing, contributing to studies of Whiteness in media studies, and producing a counter-imagination of Asian/American representation in Asian-centered stories.

Contents:
1. Philosophy: Victor Cousin (1792-1867) John Marenbon. Pierre Duhem (1861-1947) John E. Murdoch. Martin Grabmann (1875-1949), Philipp W. Rosemann. Etienne Gilson (1884-1947) Edward A. Synan. Harry Austryn Wolfson (1887-1974) Arthur Hymans. Philotheus Boehner, O.F.M. (1901-1955) Fr. Gedeon Gal, O.F.M.
2. Musicology: Introduction. Henry Julius Wetenhall Tillyard (1881-1960) Diane Touliatos. Egon Wellesz (1885-1974) Milos Velimirovic. Bruon Stablein (1895-1978) Charles Atkinson. Gustav Reese (1899-1977) Theodore Karp.
3: Art History: Introduction. Alois Riegel (1858-1905) Margaret Olin. Henri Focillon (1881-1943) Walter Cahn. Arthur Kingsley Porter (1883-1933) Linda Seidel.

In a 1572 visit to Warwick, Queen Elizabeth looked out the window of her lodgings and saw local people dancing in the courtyard, a seemingly spontaneous performance meant to entertain her. During her travels, she was treated to fireworks, theatrical performances, and lavish banquets. Reconstructing the formal and informal events that took place throughout Elizabeth's progress visits, events rich in pageantry and ceremony, John M. Adrian demonstrates how communities communicated their character, as well as their financial and political needs, to noble guests. While previous scholars have studied Elizabeth I and her visits to the homes of influential courtiers, Fêting the Queen places a new emphasis on the civic communities that hosted the monarch and their efforts to secure much needed support. Case studies of the university and cathedral cities of Oxford, Canterbury, Sandwich, Bristol, Worcester, and Norwich focus on the concepts of hospitality and space—including the intimate details of the built environment.

After the death of Marion Morrison, known as John Wayne, in 1979, President Jimmy Carter said that Wayne "was bigger than life. In an age of few heroes, he was the genuine article. But he was more than a hero; he was a symbol of many of the qualities that made America great." The first section of this study concentrates on Waynes style of work and sphere of action as an actor: The man who works for a living and is concerned with his audience and the constraints of his immediate environment. The second section examines the artist: the man who lives in his art, who disappears into his character as an archetype of human fears and desires. Analyses of films that have made Wayne a hero are presented in the third section. A comprehensive filmography and numerous photographs are included.

Apocalyptic Bodies traces the biblical notions of the end of the world as represented in ancient and modern texts, art, music and popular culture, for example the paintings of Bosch. Tina Pippin addresses the question of how far we, in the late twentieth century, are capable of reading and responding to the 'signs of the times'. It will appeal not only to those studying religion, but also to those fascinated with interpretations of the end of the world.

How do different artistic and cultural practices develop in the contemporary consumer culture? Providing a new direction in cultural studies as well as a vigorous defence of the field, Angela McRobbie's new collection of essays considers the social consequences of cultural proliferation and the social basis of aesthetic innovation.
In the wake of postmodernism, McRobbie offers a more grounded and even localised account of key cultural practices, from the new populism of young British artists, including Damien Hirst and Tracy Emin, to the underground London sounds of drum'n'bass, discussing music by artists such as Tricky, Talvin Singh and Goldie; from the new sexualities in girls' and women's magazines like More! and Sugar to the dynamics of fashion production and consumption.
Throughout the essays the author returns to issues of livelihoods and earning a living in the cultural economy, while at the same time pressing the issue of cultural value.

The over-arching theme for this new collection of essays by Angela McRobbie is the `aestheticisation of everyday life'. In Gender adn Popular Culture the author examines the cultural significance of young British artisits, the politics of dance music, fashion as a social phenomenon and the impact of feminism on popular culture. While strongly defending cultural studies against its critics, the author argues for new perspectives in cultural studies. These inlcude the cultural economy as a labour market, and issues of cultural policy.

As we approach the new millennium there is a growing interest within western religion in the apocalypse. In "Apocalyptic Bodies" Tina Pippin traces the biblical notions of end times as represented in ancient and modern texts, art, music and popular culture, and addresses the question of how we, in the late twentieth century, are to be competent and ethical readers of and responders to the " signs of the times." "Apocalyptic Bodies" presents a postmodern reading of the biblical texts and offers new ways of thinking about the bible and the end of the world.

The Godfather is a classic. Not just of Hollywood or America, but in worldwide cinema. Its legacy not only lives on in the 21st century, but it has also transcended its origins, today meaning more to so many than just a movie: it's a religion. Its cast of future Hollywood heartthrobs and acting icons – Brando! Pacino! De Niro! Caan! Duvall! Keaton! – was perfect. Its script, a masterpiece. Its score too. It became 1972's highest grossing movie and would remain the world's top grossing film for decades. And it received unprecedented critical acclaim. The Little Book of The Godfather is a celebration of this classic slice of cinema on its 50th birthday. It has everything a Godfather fanatic could want, and certainly could not refuse: from to killer stats to stunning facts, production notes to classic quotes, stories and tales from the set and the ongoing impact of the film's now legendary status. It's all here. Come and get it. 'Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.' Peter Clemenza 'You found paradise in America. You had a good trade, you made a good living. The police protected you and there were courts of law. So you didn't need a friend like me. Now you come and say "Don Corleone, give me justice." But you don't ask with respect. You don't offer friendship. You don't even think to call me "Godfather". You come into my house on the day my daughter is to be married and you ask me to do murder – for money.' Don Corleone

The first book on Booths ten tumultuous years on the stage, with a wealth of rare period illustrations reproduced with special techniques yielding results of better quality than the originals. The book evaluates his performances through newspaper reviews and the recorded opinions of his contemporaries; it also separates Booth the actor from Booth the assassin. Previously unpublished letters are included, some in facsimile. John Wilkes famous brother Edwin was not necessarily the leading actor of his era: this book indicates why John Wilkes Booth might claim that distinction. One of the appendices is an exhaustive chronology of all his performances, and all fellow cast members.